The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-12-16
CHINESE MASONS.
A Curious odge of Them in New
York--Their Meeting Place.
Ffom the Nep York World.

a6lT M60DlnS EldCSs
From the NelD York World.
Old Masons were, until late, of the opinion
that no such thing as Chinese Mason ex-
listed. One gentleman said he had seen
Arabs and Turks who were good Masons,
but to the best of his knowledge, no China
man was in the order Nevertheless, there
are not only Chinese Masons, but right here
in New York there is a Chinese Masonic
Lodge in full blast with a membership of
over 800 1t is a native organization, not
allied directly to the Free and Accepted
Masons, but said to be founded on princi-
pies very nearly akin.
The lodge-room is at No. Is Mott street,
second floor, front, and has recently been
remodelled and refitted in very good shape,
all newly painted and cleaned. The lodge
furniture is of Chinese design, and imported
from China expressly for the society at
great expense A tall flagstaff with a
rope for running up colors is on top of the
building. Above the door as one enters the
lodge-room is a red sign in native charac-
tiers signifying Chinese Masonic Society,""
and down the sides are two long slips of red
paper bearing notices. One of these is:
do good to one another and the other re-
lates to the business of the order.
The interior is like most Chinese quarters,
only lighter, and not full of odd turns and
ing one is led into sort of ante-room and
thence into the main or lodge room. At the
lower end of this room is the altar, and a
very valuable one it is, costing in China
81, 800. Above it is an alcove in which a
colored drawing is suspended. 1t is not the
least curious thing in the place, the design
being three figures, one seated and two others
bending over his shoulder. The seated
figure represents the venerable father of
Chinese Masonry. The face is heavy, placid
and adorned with long black beard. The
other two are respectively the spirits of
light and darkness, who are supposed to be
| giving him counsel. In front of the altar q
lamp is hung. 1t is never extinguished, and
| burns in commemoration of the dead of the
| order. Another emblem is two sticks of
sandal-wood punk thrust into a box of
| sand. They keep snouldering away and fill
| the air with q faint but sweet perfume.
| On the wall is long board, and ON this
| are pasted great number of sheets of
| paper covered with Chinese hieroglyphics.
| These are the lists OF members voted on in
| the New York lodge. Near the roster hang
| two books. One of these is sent out from
] the Supreme Lodge at San Francisco, and
| gives detailed account of a number of
| cases of those IL distress and sickness, and
| the whereabouts of each one who needs help
/ The other is subscription book in which
| the various amounts subscribed are entered.
| At intervals these two books and the amount
| raised are transmitted to the Supreme
Lodge, from which the dependent members
| are relieved.
Meetings are not held upon regular
nights, but at intervals decided upon by
the dignitaries of the order, as the necessities
of business may demand. The members are
notified of meetings, held generally on Sun
day nights, by the appearance of a trian-
gular flag at the top Of the pole on top of
the house. This flag is white and bears the
picture of huge red dragon with its tail
toward the point. There are grips, signs
and passwords exactly as in an American
lodge. 1.-The travelling card" OF this society
is quite curiosity in itself. 1t is a square
of red silk inscribed with Chinese characters,
and is document highly priced by all its
| poSSeSSorS. ....